Alltech opens state-of-the-art mycotoxin laboratory in Europe

Mycotoxin contamination in feed continues to be an ever-present risk. According to our 2015 European Grains and Forage Harvest Analysis, dairy and beef cattle are at high risk for mycotoxin exposure. Inconsistent weather conditions during the summer of 2015 increased the risk for mycotoxin contamination, leading to irregularities in plant growth and wreaking havoc on the 2015 European crop. Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland aims to be one step ahead of the mycotoxin challenge. Today sees the opening of its first European-based, state-of-the-art Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory.

The laboratory will be the third of its kind for Alltech, which has two similar laboratories in the U.S. and China. To date, the laboratory in the U.S. has analysed more than 11,000 samples since opening in 2012. The new laboratory will provide much-needed, high-throughput mycotoxin profiling services in Europe to accelerate the detection process, while saving time and money for European farmers and food producers. Having such a laboratory in Europe will allow Alltech to investigate more than 38 different mycotoxins quantitatively and more than 50 others qualitatively in animal feed in less than 15 minutes per sample.

“The new laboratory at Alltech Ireland will assist European farmers and producers in the identification and management of the risks associated with mycotoxins,” said Nick Adams, global director of the Alltech Mycotoxin Management Team. “The Alltech Mycotoxin Management Program and global Mycotoxin Management Team of researchers and specialised consultants offer unique and precise solutions to manage the menace of multiple mycotoxins. This new laboratory is yet again evidence that the Alltech team has always led the way in innovative technologies for combating the threat of this hidden global killer here in Europe.”

Diagnosis and effective remediation of mycotoxin problems have, to date, been limited by the ability to accurately measure these toxic contaminants in feedstuffs. Our new laboratory is an innovative resource that will house a team of analytical scientists who will assist farmers with their constant monitoring of mycotoxin presence and levels in stored forage, which is an integral part of a forage management programme, with the end goal to reduce the impact on cattle performance and health. The laboratory will be able to rapidly identify these hidden killers in feed and provide a final report with recommendation for next steps to the farmer.

To have a dedicated centre for this innovative technology in Ireland will have a significant impact on the productivity, animal health, traceability, profitability and efficiency of not only Europe’s farmers, but also Europe’s food production systems.

Alltech’s cutting-edge research and global science teams are not shy of accolades. Alltech’s North American Mycotoxin Management Laboratory has been accredited with ISO/IEC 17025:2005, an international standard that recognises the competence of testing laboratories. This objective third-party assessment distinguishes the managerial and technical requirements of the lab and ensures the accuracy and impartiality of analytical results.

In 2013, the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis programme garnered a one-star innovation award from INNOV’SPACE in France, a distinction programme that awards new product and service innovations in agriculture. The Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis programme also earned a 2014 Dairy Herd Management Innovation Award, and China Animal Health Magazine presented the Alltech 37+® programme with the 2014 Double Effect Star Solution award.

In September 2015, the China Feed Industry Information Network presented the Alltech Mycotoxin Management Program with the Star Feed Additive—Top 5 Mycotoxin Solution award.

To find out more about our Alltech 37+® Mycotoxin Analysis click here